The year is coming to its end. 2009. A good year. A fantastic one actually. I can only hope 2010 will be as good as this past one.

This blog is also coming to its end. It's been inevitable really. For many reasons I don't want to write here any more. It's not that I don't have things to say, but the time has come to say goodbye.

I'm on Facebook, and update there quite regularly.

Thank you blog. You have been wonderfull, but your time is up. Until I find a way to archive what I have written here, I'm leaving the blog the way it is. There won't be new things. It feels good. Liberating actually. Quitting writing doesn't mean I'm going to quit reading others' blogs though.

Goodbye blog. Goodbye readers. Thank you.

Vaccination

Sohoho, ho ho ho, it's December 1st (again) and while NaBloPoMo has wrapped up without my participation, another month has come and gone. Not that it was a borning month.

But I shall rather not digress and focus on the aforementioned list.

Vaccination. H1N1. Swineflu. Bacon fever. Call it whatever you want, here at casa Greebranch, by now, we've all seen and felt the needle. Except the cat of course. I assume it would be just a tiny bit over the top to drag the kitty to the vet to get the shot, no? Is there a H1N1 shot for cats anyways?

See, now I did digress.

About 3 weeks ago, Jonatan and I were invited to get the vaccination done. After a long struggle back and forth, should we or should we not get vaccinated, we decided to do it. For several reasons, the first and foremost was that since all children under the age of 3 were not to be vaccinated though belonged to the highest risk group, we were going to minimize the risk that she'd catch the flu from one of us. Once we had made up our mind, it all was rather simple - cueue, push forward left arm (if you are right-handed), needle in and out, wait 15 minutes for possible allergic shock, continue with daily business, wait anxiously for possible side-effects to kick in. No side effects here, except a sore muscle where the needle had penetrated. Not too bad.

It all was really kind of weird, all of Malmö suddenly seemed to get vaccinated during one week since all 30-39 year old got the vaccination during the same week and we really know almost only people in that age group. Almost a bit of a "end-of-the-world"-feeling. Me pushing Stella in her stroller through a storm with leaves and small branches falling over us didn't help remove that feeling. Storm warning...

It was also during that time that news emerged that all 0.5-3 year old children could be vaccinated. So, Stellas turn was yesterday. It was drama. A butcher doctor, with no empathy for childrens fears and crying, a neede, a shaking mother, but thank you god for Püppi. She saved the show. Once again.

So far the Stella is doing just fine.No side-effects. Yet. I guess when you are that young your arm doesn't hurt from vaccination, right (or not)? Or is it that children are just stronger when it comes to pain? Or are we adults just whuzzes when it comes to needles and pain? Most probably.

block

Gosh, it's been ages since I blogged. It's not a new thing for me to let quite some time pass between blog posts, but this time it's totally unintentional. I WANT TO BLOG. I even have stuff to say, I just can't do it somehow. Some kind of blog-block.

But pragmatic as I am, I'm going to resolve the blocking - listwise.

Here's what want to/am going to write about soon. Soon = by the end of Novemeber:

-- I'm becoming a doula. Best thing in a long time I have done for myself. Long post ahead.
-- Trip to Germany. Pictures ahead. Man I wish I had a back-yard, with trees, and leaves, and veggies, and that stuff.
-- I still have not found a new job. Despite quite som efforts, I don't get anywhere really. Very very frustrating. Alarming in fact.
-- H1N1 (bacon fever) vaccination. Back and forth. Forth and back. And forth again. Jonatan and I are getting the shot next week, Stella is too young to be vaccinated. More on that.
-- Christmas. I almost don't dare to write it, having been the Christmas grinch the last 20 or so years, but I am actually looking forward to Christmas. I might even use the word "long". Yes, ok, I am counting down the days until Christmas. 41 more days. 17 more days until Stella can open the first package of her Adventskalender. Exciting. Christmas get's a whole new meaning once there is a child involved.

Reading

There is a lot of reading going on here at casa Greenbranch. Stella in particular has a new-found love for everything Barbapapa. It all started with her getting a cute little dress with a Barbapapaprint from her aunt Josefine. Since then all we hear is "Barbaklänning"*. You ask her what she wants to wear and she exclaims Barbaklänning.

So we lend some Barbapapa books at the library. That triggered Stellas understanding and knowledge of colors. I am so impressed that she knows not only all the names of the barbapapas, she also knows their respective colors. It's so cute. Wherever we are, if something is very very red, she'll point out - Barabastark**. Orange - Barbabok***. And so on.

And I am amazed how up-to-date the Barbapapa stories really are. The ones we are reading were written in the beginning of the 1970s, but they could not have been written more educational now. Right now, the Barbapapas are teaching us, that polluting our planet is a bad bad thing, and that we need to clean up our planet. Good point.

I'm reading a fabulous book as well. Actually the first really really good one since Eat Pray Love (which by the way I learned is being made into a movie with Julia Roberts). My friend Lisa gave me Gut gegen Nordwind and I just couldn't put it down. It does bring a lot of memories back from when Jonatan and I met - online. More than 9 years ago now, but I guess one never forgets falling in love with his/her love.

By now I'm reading the sequal to Gut gegen Nordwind - Alle sieben Wellen. I'm again totally captivated and can't wait to read if Leo and Emmi finally will find to one another. If you are German (or want to read a really good book in German), go and get those two books. I highly recommend them.

I'm also reading some really interesting specialist literatur, but more on that later.


* Barbaklänning = Barbapapaklänning = Barbapapadress
** that's what Barbabravo is called in Swedish.
*** Barbalib in Swedish.

Home alone

Home alone. That's what I am. Jonatan is at work, Stella in pre-school, and I am sitting here at my desk with a lot of thoughts in my head. It's all quiet if you disregard the city noise outside the oppen windows.

I want to find a job. I need to find a job. I worry. Somewhat.

4

So my blog turned four years old yesterday. I have been blogging 4 years. Man. That's quite some time. Things were very different four years ago. My life was different. I was different. I even had a different name back then, as did this blog. I was a couple of pounds lighter back then and had less grey hair. I was living at the same address in an smaller apartment. With a lot of shoes, the kitty and Jonatan, who was going to be my husband less than a year later.

But I wasn't the Mrs. yet and not mama either. I really love how those things turned out. I love being the Mrs. and being mama is the best thing ever.

Four years ago I was struggling quite a bit, quite often. I was daydreaming about what my life would be four years from then. Only in the very best of daydreams could I imagine that it would be like this.

Well, enough of that sentimental stuff. Let's look forward. What's ahead? Four years from now? I have no idea, but I sure hope it involves being the Mrs. and mama.

Happy anniversary blog.

Cha Cha Cha Cha Changes....

Last post I wrote about late summer. By now, a week later, late summer is so over. It's autum. Fall - if you want to call it that. The leaves are, indeed, falling. The babe picks them up as if they are some grand price and proudly carries them around town. Sweet. Fall is sweet. At least in the beginning, when you still remember the warm summer days. By the end of fall and the beginning of winter I'm so over the wet, dark, coldness that I just wish it was summer again. Fall triggers melancholy, every year. The days get shorter, darkness looms. But fall also means tea with milk, rain, staying inside, cosy afternoon naps. And the wind. Storm at times. Every year my hairdo turns into some weird white-chick afro. Not so nice. Enter the straightening iron. My loyal friend. Best-buy of 2003. What would I be without it. But I digress.

This week, Stella started pre-school. So far, it's going so-so. Not too bad actually. We had some shy advancing towards some toys, a majoy break-down involving a toy clown and some major clinging to mommys leg. Here in Sweden children usually get a soft introduction to preschool. Parents follow along for a period of time (usually something in between 1-3 weeks). This week, we spent 4 days á 1 hour at pre-school. Next week, we are hoping to increase the time spend there by Stella and decrease the time spend there by me. Once the initial preschool introductory time is over and Stella feels confident to stay there without me (or Jonatan), she'll be at there 5 days a week from 8-12 am. 4 hours. She'll be fine, and I guess we'll be too. Our girl is once again getting more independent.

I am unemployed as is no secret and by now I am actively searching for a new job. It's turning out to be more tricky than I thought. I don't seem to be too patient and am preemtively worrying about loads of things connected to being unemployed. Money. Career. Self-esteem. I'd love to work part-time. 75% ideally. 50% would be great too.

Jonatan is back at work and that is that. A big change. We have been so so fortunate to having had the opportunity to spend the last 7 months as a family of three at home. Poor - yes. Happy - more than ever. It was so worth it and I know both Jonatan and I will never ever regret that we decided to spend this time together. It has brought us even closer together.

But but, everything must come to an end. Jonatan is working again, Stella is starting pre-school and I am hopefully finding a new job shortly. The cat will be happy once we're all out of the house and he can have some peace and quiet.

For now, I'm going to enjoy our lördagsgodis* and watch Sweden play football against...ehhh...Hungary. Yes, right, had to look at the TV, had already forgotten who they played against. I'm listening to the rain outside and watch the kitty sleep. Earlier this evening I watched the babe dance to Kent and the Moonbabies. And Britta & Dean. I know I might jinx my luck writing it, but - I am so very happy.

Have a nice autumn/fall!

* Lördagsgodis translates into "saturdaycandy" and is a Swedish tradition of eating candy on saturday (as opposed to eating it during the work week).

Berries of blue.

Nothing more says late summer to me than Swedish blueberries. I love them. Everything about them. They are smaller and darker than the big ones one usually finds in the shops abroad. They aren't as sweet as the regular ones, but they are just perfect in every way. Or maybe it is this "leaving summer feeling" I connect with them that makes me feel sentimental and excited at the same time.

When Jonatan and I were newly in love, back in the beginning of this century, millenium actually (ha that sounds weird), we visited his parents on the Swedish countryside. It was blueberry season, and a fantastic one that year. Blueberries everywhere, behind the house, in front of the house, in the woods, everywhere. Jonatans grandfather and mother taught me how to pick (and eat) blueberries. I loved it, and still do. I love to eat them right from the bush (plant?), turn them into jam, pies, pancakes, cupcakes, anything.

The babe, loves them too. Ever since she ate the first ones last summer.

So to all our joy, Jonatan brought home from a trip to see his parents and sister, a jar full of blueberries freshly picked behind the house by Jonatans mother. Mmmmmm. The next day, yesterday, I made blueberry pancakes. Stella loved it and I did too. Mmmmm. I think I'll turn the rest of them into a pie this weekend. Mmmmmmm. Yummy!

Stella eating her blueberry pancake. Fall we are ready for you, if you come with blueberries.

Weddings & adult time

My parents just left after having spent the 9 days with us. 9 days mostly with Stella (and of course some with us too).

Jonatan and I had been invited to two weddings, two weekends in a row and needed a babysitter. Since my parents stayed the week in between the weddings, Jonatan and I took the opportunity to take a 2.5 day mini-break. Adult time. We went to Berlin.

Both the weddings were lovely. As lovely as weddings can be. I shed some tears of happiness and one timy one for not being able to marry again. It's a bit sentimental. I'm so happily married that it's a bit sad that I can't marry Jonatan again. I guess we'll have to have a huge 10 year anniversary party.

Marina & Pär's wedding:



Pauline & Fredik's wedding:



Berlin was of course fantastico. Best was the baby free time. Talking, not talking. Sleeping in. Eating a meal in slow-motion. Going out for a drink at night. All with my husband. By day three, we were missing Stella terribly. So much in fact that we made friends with a cute little one year old at the airport on our way home. The girls mother asked us if we were on a child-free vacation. It was this obvious that we were missing our babe. :)

While we were away Stella had the time of her life with Omi and Opa. She got spoilt rotten, of course. In a good way. I guess that's what grandparents are there for, spoil the child so that the child doesn't forget the grandparents when they leave again. Stella learned many more German words. It was just good for her to hear some German conversation instead of just me talking to her. My mother took the usual gazillion of pictures but I have none on my PC. So those have to wait. For now, here's a little collage of our trip to Berlin. Click on the image to enlarge.

20

20 months. Almost. I have wanted to write an update about our babe since she turned one and a half years old, but as usual life was too busy to really spend time blogging. But I'm going to make an effort now. I draw a lot of blogging inspiration from friends who write updates about their babies and babies turned toddlers.

But oh my where do I start?

Maybe a little recap? Here's Stella at 6 months. And here at 12 months.

At 18+ months our daughter is all about talking. She's so good at it. I am deeply impressed. She masters both (German and Swedish) languages, although she focuses her efforts on Swedish right now. By now she builds sentences. Two word sentences and even a couple of three word ones (Pappa läsa boken*). She's very ambitious when it comes to talking and learning new words. Her eyes can be transfixed on our lips, while her mouth is trying to say a certain new word as correct as possible. This often works, though sometimes not, making for some fun wording. Jonatan and I have more than once giggled about the cuteness of Stella making up new words while trying to say something. Also, Stella can repeat a newly learned word about 100 times, in addition to repeating everything we say. We really have to watch what we say these days.

One of the most interesting things about the babe right now is that she "get's things". She understands rather complex situations. She makes connections between things and amazes us many times every day, i.e. while strolling in the city, she can point at the same stroller she has and exclaim that her friend Filippa (who at the point of strolling is not with us) has the same stroller as well. That's rather complex, especially since there are a gazillion different strollers on the streets here in Sweden. Also, she loves to compare things and point out similar things. Colors, shapes, textures, food, all is up for comparison.

We have started to teach her colors. She has initiated this actually since she's been obsessed with the color purple - lila, ever since we bought her beloved purple shoes. Purple she knows really well now and points it out a lot. Blue she knows too, black also and bajs**. I'm working hard on green and red, but they seem difficult.

Funnily, every time I do these big blog updates about Stella I write that she just went through a growth spurt and that I am somewhat exhausted. No different this time, only that she still seems to be in the middle of the growth spurt. Or as some people would call it - terrible twos. Only that she is not even close to two. So, growth spurt it is. And growing she is. Physically our babe is such a big girl. She's in the boy's league length-wise but still on the slender side, although no longer as skinny as she was after the several rounds of sickness during the spring. The last time she was on the scale and measured, which was at 17 months, back in the beginning of June, Stella was 10845 gram (24 lbs) and 84 cm (33 in).

A toddler at 18+ months is such a different person than the baby we had during the first year. And of course we are different parents too.

Our babe is still the very active girl she's always been. Re-reading the previous updates, it is clear that we have a high-energy child, which is fantastic, amazing, interesting and fascinating, the shear endless energy she seems to have sometimes. It is also exhausting at times. Luckily our girl is still such a good sleeper. She sleeps about 11-12 hours per night (7pm-6:30am) and one or two 1.5 hour naps during the day. We are just transitioning from two naps per day to only one. Some days it works just fine not taking a mid-morning nap and some days Stella is so tired by 9am that we let her cuddle in her little bed for an hour with her stuffed animals and of course Püppi.

Stella still shows so much love for her dolls and stuffed animals. I am still amazed by it and have several times shed a tear watching her lovingly play with her dolls. Stella got a doll stroller from my grandmother for her first birthday and we finally unpacked it now. It's her new favorite thing to play with. A lot of doll strolling going on in the apartment.

Playing. It is so different now to what it was just half a year ago. Play is mostly initiated by Stella these days and she can really entertain herself so well. She loves her new Lego (duplo). Big(ger) girl Lego. Endless possibilities. Endless playing. Not sure who likes playing with it more - Stella or Jonatan.

Reading books. Mollan. Miffy. Molly. Her absolute favorites at the moment. After a period of not reading so much during the late spring (while focusing on walking, running, climbing), Stella is in a reading period again. Nice. Cozy, especially when you are the chosen one to read to her. We have also bough and borrowed some children's DVD's (Miffy, Pingu, Molly), but Stella isn't too much into the whole TV watching thing. 5 minutes max. We think that's ok. Great in fact. I guess sooner or later she'll be begging us to let her watch TV "just a little bit longer".

Food. No big change there. Luckily. Stella is still a wonderful eater. So much interest. Trying everything. Disliking very few things (amongst them Feta cheese and Avocado). I was a picky eater as a child, and still have several things I really dislike (cheese amongst others). My daughter is so different in that respect. I love it. Stella-food-lover.

Pointing out body parts is of course fun and Stella is really good at it. Hair, ears, mouth, teeth, fingers, hands, belly, etc. all has been found and is accounted for on a daily basis. She's also discovered her little female private parts and rather enjoys “playing” with it. Very innocent. Very sweet.

Stella has had a potty since she was one year old. She has mostly played with it or used it as a chair. She has now peed on it once. A grand total of one (1) time. Ha ha. It's funny really. She runs to the potty, sits on it, points to the toilet exclaiming "mama kisser***" and concentrates. While I sit next to her peeing, there is nothing happening in the potty. I guess we'll be buying more diapers for a while. It's totally ok. Stella is a very determined child. When she is ready, she'll decide it's time for the potty, and she'll sit on it and pee. It's like that with everything. Stubborn, determined, and interested.

I guess once Stella starts day-care she'll see lot’s of other kids use the potty and she'll be intrigued to do the same. Which brings me to - day-care. Stella will start day-care on September 1st. Wow. I'm still unemployed (loooong story of how I didn't get into the Master Program I applied for), so Stella will be home with me a bit too, but it'll be nice for her to play regularly with the same group of kids. Jonatan will start working again on September 1st. I'll write more about all of that in a separate post soon.

Being one and a half during the summer is really fun. Swimming in the ocean, playing in the sand box (for hours) and just running around without 50 or so layers of clothes. We are really really longing for a garden, and right now I'd give my left arm for a little patch of grass and our own swing. Well well, soon it's the Swedish 8 months winter again and I'll be glad we live right in the center of the city with all things within close proximity.

Of course there is so much more, details I could write about. But I think I’ll stop here. This post is already getting veeeery long. You get the picture. Stella is growing. Thriving. Big girl in a big world. Ready for it. Don't forget to check out the pictures at my flickr site.

* Daddy read the book.
** She pronounces the German word Weiss (white) like the Swedish word bajs (poo).
*** Mamma pee!

Öland plus more...

I know I've been a bad blogger and I'm not even attempting a really long and deep kind of post. Instead I'm following my dad's request for some vacation pictures.

I uploaded quite many pics to my Flickr account. Click here for an overview of the pictures or view them as a slideshow here.

Once you are done looking at all of them, enjoy some pictures of our little beachgirl taken yesterday:




Oh and before I forget, here are two pictures of Stella playing with her dollstroller that she got from her great-grandmother. Too cute!



But, I do have a long post with depth in the pipeline. I just need to get it written.

One and a half

The babe is one and a half years old today. Hooorrayyy for our big girl. She really is, such a big girl. By now the baby in her is all but gone. She is a tiny little person, doing lot's of grown-up things, like drinking from a cup, eating from a plate (both very messy, but hey many grown-ups have terrible table manners, right?).

And don't even let me start about the talking. It's hilarious. This morning, when she woke up (at 6:10 am) and Jonatan went into her room to pick her up to cuddle in our bed for a while, she greeted him with "goooodmorrron*". Never a boring moment with the babe.

Here's the babe today at öppen förskola outside.

Stellas ocean-swimming debut on Sunday. Malmö - Ribban. Life is good.

And finally one that Jonatan shot on Sunday late afternoon while barbequeing on the beach. Summer is fantastico!!!


Happy one and a half years baby. You are the light of my life.

* "good morning" in Sweden

Beachlife & catlife...

So summer has finally arrived here in Sweden. And as it seems it is going to stick around for a bit. Lovely.

We have been hanging at the local beach these past days. The babe looooves the sand and the water and everything connected with beachlife, especially ice cream. Who can blame her?





After having been on "vacation" for almost 2 months at Jonatans parents place, our hairy boy, aka. Tiger is back at home with us. One really get's attached to ones pet and we missed our boy dearly. Especially Stella. Not sure though how much Tiger missed her. "Don't chase Tiger around the apartment" can be overheard more than once a day at casa Grönkvist these days. Poor kitty. At least he comes out of hiding after the babes has gone to bed for some purring action, much to might delight. I van never overdose on cat purring...

strawberry rhubarb

Midsummer

We've been away to celebrate midsummer with Anna and Erik plus kids in Särö this weekend. 4 adult, 4 children, one cat. Lovely as ever. See for yourself...

On the way to Särö, pit stop at the Köttclown's



Maj and Stella playing with strawberry boxes :D